Free Oldies Music Information
Since we are talking about free oldies music it is fitting that we describe our venture by referencing a popular expression from the 1960s: “different strokes for different folks!” By the way…Muhammad Ali is credited with originating the term in 1966. The biggest hit oldie to use the line as part of its lyric was “Every Day People” by Sly and the Family Stone in 1968. The term has been assigned various meanings but, for the purpose of this article, I am using the most common interpretation which simply means that “we all have different tastes.”
Although we may view oldies from our own unique perspectives the term “oldies” actually has a more specific meaning. In fact, just because a song is old does not mean it is classified as an “oldie.” There is a considerable difference between “oldies” and “oldies but goodies.” “Oldies but goodies” refers to old popular music with a broader stroke than “oldies.” In other words, more songs fit under that heading than is included in the more specialized classification of “oldies.”
“Oldies but goodies” can cover popular music; in general, as far back as you want to go. For someone in their 70s, an oldie but goodie could be a big band tune from the 1940s or a Doris Day hit from the early 50s.
The emphasis of this website, however, is on mainstream oldies from the pop and rock genre. This music genre classification generally covers the timeframe of 1955 to the mid-70s. Some purists are hesitant to include the disco era which was so heavily dominated popular music from the mid to late 70s.
If you ever want to get a good argument going about “the first rock and roll song” there are definitely multiple schools of thought on the subject. However, for the sake of “oldies” classification the first song to wear the label was “Rock Around the Clock” by Bill Haley and the Comets. This song is the usual starting point for the oldies era because it was the first number one rock and roll hit. For the song to have attained such great success indicates that rock and roll had entered the mainstream of music entertainment culture. From that time forward rock and roll grew into a driving force in popular music.
Oldies music also follows the youth and maturity of the Baby Boomer generation. From their teen years, high school, college, military service, marriage and family, and building a career, this is the music that provided the soundtrack of the Boomer life. Not surprisingly, this music is often selected by Hollywood producers for insertion in the sound tracks of their movies. Some song titles have even been adopted as movie titles. Pretty Woman, Only the Lonely, Ode to Billie Joe, and Love Potion #9 are a few examples.
The oldies era features an interesting mix of mainstream rock, pop, country, R&B, jazz, easy listening, and novelty songs. The further hit songs were from the center of the mainstream the less acceptable they are today for inclusion on an oldies playlist. That simply means that, even though it may have been a number one hit, it may no longer have validity because it sounds too old school country. There are even music styles that get very little play on oldies stations. You will seldom hear Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass or jazz trumpeter Al Hirt…even though they had huge mainstream hits during the oldies era. By the way, I do stick out my neck and play some of the music by these artists on my oldies station. I guess that makes me a rebel although I am certain that the Crystals weren’t singing about me in 1963 with their hit, “He’s a Rebel.”
Within the oldies era there were a number of novelty songs that charted high but are not really seen as valid to the standard oldies mix. A good example would be…”Disco Duck” by my old friend and DJ, Rick Dees or Convoy (also inspired a movie) by C.W. McCall. Disco Duck was a satire on disco music and Convoy was a song that gained popularity during the short-lived CB craze in the early 70s. There have been numerous songs that fit this bill…and certainly they are fun to listen to once in awhile, but for the most part they are not included on most standard oldies lists. Do you remember Dickie Goodman?
Oh, yeah…and then there was that thing called bubble gum music. You won’t usually hear much of this “teeny bopper” music on oldies radio stations. Tommy Roe and the Jackson Five are among a very few exceptions. Even the Archies song “Sugar, Sugar,” despite being the number one song of 1969 is considered a “no-no” on most lists. Heaven forbid playing “I Think I Love You” by the Partridge Family. Again, I stretch the boundaries on my oldies station, Golden Hits Radio, for the sake of variety and play both of the aforementioned songs.
Admittedly, I am a little more liberal at song selection from the oldies era than most oldies radio programmers. It is my personal belief that people who embrace free oldies music are generally older and that they don’t want to hear the same songs over and over. I also believe it is OK to hear something that you haven’t heard in years. A little nostalgia occasionally helps bring back some wonderful memories which are nice to give us a little boost when times aren’t so good. After all, what makes oldies such an appealing genre of music is because it’s like catching up with an old friend.
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